Avengers: Doomsday
Heroes from three universes converge to face Doctor Doom.
Avengers: Doomsday is an upcoming superhero film from Marvel Studios, distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It serves as the direct sequel to 2019's Avengers: Endgame and marks the 39th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with a screenplay by Michael Waldron, Stephen McFeely, and the writing duo of Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Its ensemble cast is led by Robert Downey Jr., who plays Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom. The story follows the Avengers, Wakandans, New Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men as they come together from different universes to confront Doom.
The project was first announced in July 2022 as two films—The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars—intended to close out the MCU's Phase Six and the "Multiverse Saga." Jonathan Majors was originally set to reprise his role as Kang the Conqueror, with Destin Daniel Cretton directing and Jeff Loveness writing The Kang Dynasty. In November 2023, Cretton left the project, Waldron replaced Loveness as writer, and Marvel began reconsidering the Kang storyline, partly due to Majors's legal troubles; Majors was fired the following month. In July 2024, Marvel announced the return of the Russo brothers as directors, McFeely as co-writer, Downey's casting as the new villain Doctor Doom, and the new subtitle Doomsday. The cast includes actors from previous MCU projects and from 20th Century Fox's X-Men films, using the concept of colliding universes to unite performers from different franchises. Filming took place from April to September 2025 at Pinewood Studios in England, with additional location work in England and Bahrain.
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release in the United States on December 18, 2026, as part of Phase Six. Its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, is set to follow on December 17, 2027.
**Premise**
Fourteen months after the events of Thunderbolts* (2025), groups of heroes from three distinct universes—the Avengers, Wakandans, and New Avengers from Earth-616; the Fantastic Four from Earth-828; and the "original" X-Men from a separate universe—converge to face the existential threat of Doctor Doom.
**Cast**
- **Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom:** Directors Anthony and Joe Russo described Doom as one of the most complex comic book characters and believed Downey—who previously played Tony Stark / Iron Man
- directors
- Anthony and Joe Russo
- writers
- Michael Waldron, Stephen McFeely, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
- lead actor
- Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
- release date
- December 18, 2026 (United States)
- production company
- Marvel Studios
- distributor
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- sequel
- Avengers: Secret Wars (December 17, 2027)
Lore & Background
The film was announced in July 2022 as The Kang Dynasty, part of Phase Six and the conclusion of 'The Multiverse Saga,' with Jonathan Majors set to reprise his role as Kang the Conqueror and Destin Daniel Cretton attached to direct. In November 2023, Cretton departed, Michael Waldron replaced Jeff Loveness as writer, and Marvel considered moving away from the Kang storyline partly due to Majors's legal issues; Majors was fired the following month. In July 2024, the return of the Russo brothers as directors and Stephen McFeely as co-writer, the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, and the new subtitle Doomsday were announced.
Reader's Guide
Avengers: Doomsday represents a major shift in the MCU's narrative direction, replacing the Kang storyline with Doctor Doom as the central antagonist. The film brings together actors from previous MCU media and 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series, using the concept of colliding universes. The large cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Ian McKellen, Hayley Atwell, Tom Hiddleston, James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, Joseph Quinn, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Lewis Pullman, Kelsey Grammer, Kathryn Newton, Danny Ramirez, Winston Duke, Alan Cumming, Hannah John-Kamen, Rebecca Romijn, Mabel Cadena, and Tenoch Huerta Mejía. Filming took place from April to September 2025 at Pinewood Studios in England, with location filming in England and Bahrain. The film is scheduled for release on December 18, 2026, as part of Phase Six of the MCU, with its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, set for December 17, 2027.
Did You Know?
- Robert Downey Jr., who previously played Tony Stark / Iron Man in the MCU, was cast as Doctor Doom.
- The film brings together actors from 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series, including Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming, and Rebecca Romijn.
- Alan Cumming said the make-up process for Nightcrawler was reduced to an hour-and-a-half from four-and-a-half to five hours on X2 (2003).
- Channing Tatum said he would not 'go full Cajun' for Gambit in Doomsday, as the Russo brothers wanted a more dramatic and serious tone.
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